


Happy Candlenights, Cap'nport

by Jairephix



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Candlenights, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 08:19:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jairephix/pseuds/Jairephix
Summary: Davenport thinks about his first Candlenights alone in over a century.





	Happy Candlenights, Cap'nport

 It was his first Candlenights away from the crew he called family in...what? Over a hundred years? He had meant to return to The Sword Coast, intending to at least make it back to Merle's house for the holiday, but had a storm crop up a few days back that set him off his course. That was the problem with being a crew of one, left on the far side of the Moonshae Isles, but what could he do, really?

Davenport looked at the replicated painting of his family hanging in the Captain's Quarters as he had his morning cup of coffee. Idly, he wondered what they would be doing today. The gift exchange happened last night, he was sure. Today would be one of Taako's grand feasts, all laid out. He could almost smell the orange glazed duck, and the 'accidentally-ham-turkey-soup' that had been among the Starblaster's favorite meals. Too well, really.

He quirked an eyebrow, knowing it wasn't anything illusionary. Illusions always had something not-quite-right. This was too real. With a sword at his side, and his mug in the other hand, the gnome ventured out through his ship. It was coming from the galley. Throwing the door open wide, he stopped. There was the twins' trademarked feast, laid out, all steaming hot.

He turned, intending to investigate, only to be greeted by a Candlenights shrub that hadn't been there moments before. Glittering ornaments and tinsel were hung with care all around it, swaying gently as the ship was rocked by the sea. Underneath the low reaching boughs were brightly wrapped packages. Curiosity washed over him like a wave over the decks, and he needed to find out more about this. It wasn't a trap, that much was certain.

That was Magnus' handwriting, Merle's clumsy wapping, Taako's embellishments...Lucrectia's simplicity, Lup's competition with Taako, and Barry's distracted packaging. There was even a different package, one very neat and picture perfectly wrapped. That one was labeled from Angus, the young boy with a sharp wit and a solid head on his shoulders.

He couldn't help himself. Davenport ripped through the shiny paper and ribbons with ease.

Angus' gift was an atlas of the entirety of Faerun. His little notecard said it was to help him discover things that hadn't been charted. Lucretia's gift was fine parchments and pens, along with a set of tools meant for charting maps. Merle's awkward wrapping revealed a small live tree, magicked to withstand salt water and air. Taako and Lup had sent him matching bottles of his favorite, most expensive, alcohols with pairing suggestions. Of course they would try to outdo the other while giving such similar gifts. Magnus' gift revealed a beautiful carved wooden setting for his compass. The filigree work was so fine, Davenport spent several minutes marveling over it. Finally, Barry's gift revealed the secondary touch of Lup, as the two had worked together to make a spell that used necromancy and minor conjurations to prevent rot from settling into the wood and ropes. A clever combination of a preservation spell alongside a minor heat would keep all but the most intense damage from the boards.

The gnome sniffled, intent on not crying even though he was alone.

"So, like it?" He whipped around, only to be met with the smiling gazes of all the people who had left him gifts, plus one tall reaper with a scythe in his hand.

"What...what are you all...how did you...?"

"Krav-cakes got all the tricky travel accommodations settled for us." Taako reached out to ruffle Angus' hair, thwarted by the feathered cap. All he ended up achieving was sliding the hat around the boy's head, much to the detective's protest. "Ango McDango here said that no one deserves to be alone on Candlenights, and that got us all thinking, and...well..."

"Happy Candlenights, Cap'n!"

"Happy Candlenights, Davenport."

"Happy Candlenights, Cap'nport!"

The mix of replies, overlapping and jumbled together made him smile. It wasn't going to be a lonely Candlenights after all.


End file.
